gooseberry
Missouri
The story line is a little ho-hum for me which is why I put off watching it until about 8 episodes were already out (also because Goo Ae Jung's hairstyle seriously repelled me, but that's a small thing and I eventually got over it as it seemed to match her character and the drama after all). My opinion of it didn't improve much after finishing the drama, but it was handled better than I thought it would be.
Despite the story keeping this drama from, in my opinion, being a perfect 10, this was an exceptionally entertaining summer drama. I laughed out loud at least a handful of times every episode, which rarely happens, and I would happily sit down to watch this again, which also rarely happens. The supporting cast is delight to watch and the "2nd female" is handled in a refreshing way. The costumes are an absolute hoot and the sets are colorful and a delight to the eyes. Definitely one of those rom-com dramas whose head sticks above the rest.
Another of my favorite elements was how this drama pointed out that celebrities are real people as well and they are deeply affected by those "thoughtless" comments that come out of people's anonymous fingertips. I would hope that to some, at least, it got across how stupid it is to write viscous things like that. I can't understand anyone who would do that in the first place, but hopefully they think next time they open their mouth or log into their anonymous accounts.
Definitely make a point to watch this heart-warming, refreshing, and seriously funny drama. It's not perfect, it has a few flaws besides just the story, but there are so many great things about this, it's not one to be missed.
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Truly brilliant across the board. As the special feature said, since he'd made these world-renowned blockbuster films, he could pretty much do what he wanted with what cast he wanted. The big names were mostly from the Japanese side of the cast, but the Chinese used virtually all amateurs. Even actual tour guides. And it was incredible. Yimou Zhang is officially a genius, in my mind. It made for a very natural and beautiful feeling. I really can't even describe how moved I was by this film.
Takakura Ken was absolutely incredibly. He reminds me of a couple of older men I know, and probably will you too. Those rough, silent men that struggle to express themselves. And the quietly powerful emotion this actor gets across is simply mind-blowing. Not to mention the great acting from the little boy.
I also was able to see parts of China that I didn't realize existed. Very rough country that reminds me a lot of different places I've visited in western U.S, but unique at the same time.
I would describe this as a quiet film but with so, so much depth. This is not a movie I will easily forget and will end up purchasing before too long. Don't miss this one!
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The romance is cute and meaningful. I admit I struggled at first as the age gap was quite expansive. It was difficult to see how they would have much connection. But, though not completely taken by, I was endeared to them as time went on. Not only did I love how the second female was handled, I loved the second male. There was honestly probably only one character that I didn't like by the end of the show, which made it very enjoyable. Hardly any evil character scenes to endure.
One of my absolute favorite elements of the show was not only the amazing character Kim Sun Ah got to play but also the gorgeous clothes. I may not have liked every single thing, but I always looked forward to what amazing, eye-catching thing she'd be wearing. Of course the shoes in this drama are to die for, as they should be.
This story was well woven and it didn't quite take the route I expected, which is a good thing. It seemed one of the main goals of the writers was to encourage the single mother and change, even if in a few minds, how she is viewed, and I think they did that well. All in all, a very heartwarming and humorous drama with fantastic female characters.
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Unlike others, the political aspect actually is one of the main things (besides Kim Sun Ah) that attracted me to the drama. But I watched the first episode and it looked like it was going to be a ho-hum rom com with an exceedingly silly heroine and jerk "hero". After finishing Greatest Love, I just couldn't get enough of Cha Seung Won and I'm falling head over heels for Kim Sun Ah in Scent of a Woman, so I decided to give it another go. At about episode 3 or 4 I was completely hooked and lost sleep so I could finish it.
To get the negatives out of the way, the cinematography is nothing to write home about and I just flat out did not like any of the music. It wasn't to the point of being offensive to the senses so thankfully I could ignore it for the most part, but it added nothing to the drama.
And that's pretty much it as far as negatives go. The entire bloody cast is absolutely perfect in every role. The episodes flow smoothly, really no dragging parts that I recall, and this show keeps a person absolutely hooked. Kim Sun Ah's character is amazing and inspiring! If you're turned off by her character in the beginning, keep watching. Both leads go through so much fantastic growth and have so much depth. When I started I thought 20 episodes seemed a bit much, but then when the end came I couldn't believe it was already here! Speaking of the end, it does not disappoint. Anyway, stop reading reviews and go watch this drama already!
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I struggled getting through the first episodes. They dragged and a lot of time was wasted with Shin's schoolboy crush on the dance professor. It started picking up, but then as soon the leads officially got together, it got dull again. It was the very last few episodes that made the earlier ones just about worth it.
There were characters I felt they spent too much time with and then there were characters I didn't get nearly enough of (the singer with stage fright, for example). Also, the secondary romance between Hee Joo and Joon Hee was more interesting than the main (imo, it would have made for a better drama if it HAD been the main).
This drama had many, many problems, but for a person going in with low expectations, it was fairly fun to watch. It's really not half bad, but certainly no "must-see" by any stretch of the imagination. If you're bored and sick (which is what got me to finally finish it) it's not a bad watch, but you really won't miss much if you just download the amazing soundtrack.
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The story is ordinary and dull. The flow is awkward. The romance...I'm still not sure why either fell in love with the other since both characters were quite obnoxious. Maybe they deserved each other? For a 90 minute rom-com, I didn't expect much beyond some light entertainment. But I didn't get much enjoyment out of it. This movie seemed to be haphazardly thrown together and shoved out the door to make a few quick bucks.
I gave it a 4 because it's not completely horrid (the elevator scene even approached being hilarious) and it IS "watchable". Barely.
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It would have been better if this had been a 20 episode drama so they could meat out some other parts. Bits of the story were left hanging and the last few episodes seemed to be rushed and drag at the same time. I would have liked to see more with some of the other characters (especially Manager Park).
But overall, a very entertaining and heartwarming drama with some cute quirks of its own (the atmosphere in that little cafe/art studio reminded me of watching a Gilmore Girls episode). Definitely worth a watch if for nothing else but to watch the sparks between Yoon Eun Hye and Kang Ji Hwan (and some of the best kiss scenes I've seen in a Kdrama).
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